Good morning. On behalf of President Bush and the United States Department of Transportation, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the third annual International Aviation Safety Forum.

As we gather, the news of Sunday’s tragic crash in Abuja, Nigeria, is fresh in our thoughts. This, and other recent incidents including the jet that went down in Lexington, Kentucky, in August are reminders of why we must always keep safety clearly on our radar screens.

So many precious lives can be lost in a single moment. Our hearts ache for the victims of these tragedies and for their families. At the same time, our resolve becomes stronger than ever to make sure that we build safety considerations into every transportation decision. All of us. All the time.

It is an honor to be joined here by so many leaders from the world aviation community, and I would like to welcome our distinguished international guests to the United States. I would also like to thank Administrator Blakey for that kind introduction, and for all that she and her team at the FAA have done to make ensure this conference’s success.

As many of you know, as head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Marion Blakey was a driving force in the creation of this safety forum. Her background at NHTSA and NTSB make Marion uniquely qualified to lead this effort.

When the idea was first proposed three years ago, some asked whether we needed such a forum and where it would add value. Today, the answer is clear.

Looking across this room, it is evident there is a strong interest in all aspects of the global aviation community coming together to advance safety. Nearly 500 top leaders are attending this conference, representing 50 nations and the breadth of the aviation and aerospace community. Our proceedings are being translated from English into five languages.

Most important, the numbers speak for themselves and prove the benefit of coordinated industry and government efforts to improve safety. The rate of major aviation accidents decreased across the globe by 25 percent in 2001-2005, compared to the previous five-year period. And even with recent crashes, 2006 is shaping up to be the safest year ever in aviation around the globe.

Here in the United States, aviation today has enjoyed an unparalleled safety record. Prior to Lexington, a record 2.7 billion passengers flew without a single on-board fatality on American commercial flights. And we are continuing to raise the bar.

When I became Secretary of Transportation last month, I let our employees know that safety is at the top of my list of priorities. We also are committed to improving the performance and reliability of our transportation system, and to applying 21st Century solutions to our 21st Century problems, including new approaches to funding to deal with our aging infrastructure.

I feel that we must always put safety first when it comes to transportation priorities. That goes for our roadways, our pipelines, and most certainly our runways and skies.

I have just returned from the Midwest, where I had the opportunity to sit down with veteran air traffic controllers and to join some of our newest recruits in training exercises.
I came away with a deep appreciation of the work they do. It is intense, complex, and absolutely vital to keeping tens of thousands of flights moving through U.S. airspace daily without incident. And that job promises to become more challenging.

Passenger volumes in this country are racing to the 1 billion mark within the decade. Meanwhile, companies like Cessna – whose assembly line I also visited – are preparing delivery of thousands of new very light jets, which will usher in the largest increase in air traffic since the 1960s. Many of the planes will be operating outside of the United States, as the global demand for general aviation continues to climb. So it is no coincidence that we have a significant general aviation presence in this forum — from participation on panels to tomorrow’s guest speaker, Phil Boyer, President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

During my swearing-in ceremony, President Bush noted that our nation is fast outgrowing our aviation capacity. He charged me with modernizing our airports and our air traffic control system to meet growing demand. And we are making steady progress.

The United States government has plans to hire 11,800 new controllers over the next 10 years to keep up with growing air traffic. And we are working on equipping these incoming controllers with the best in modern technology to help them safely handle these volumes.

Aviation safety, however, is not a charge that can be answered by any one manufacturer – or for that matter by any one airline, or by any single country.

Aviation is the most international form of transportation. Countless flights cross borders and link nations every day; the passengers on board any given flight carry a variety of passports, and speak a multitude of languages; and, of course, the airplanes themselves – and the many parts that go into them – have diverse origins.

And when something goes wrong, the implications affect us all.

So safety is a responsibility that we all must share.

Fortunately, because of organizations like ICAO – the International Civil Aviation Organization – we have an international standard for safety that is unmatched across the transportation modes. ICAO facilitates communication and cooperation, and puts the entire aviation community on the same page, so to speak.

I had an opportunity to meet with President Kobeh yesterday afternoon. I am excited about his plans for the organization, and both of us are quite enthusiastic about the opportunity we have to build upon ICAO’s strong foundation. Roberto, congratulations on your new position and thank you for your efforts.

The same challenges that we are facing in the United States are being mirrored on a global basis. As other nations build their aviation infrastructures and markets – particularly in many parts of Asia – the number of passengers traveling is growing exponentially, while air cargo is an increasingly vital part of domestic and international freight movement.

International air travel continues to expand strongly, fueled by the growing liberalization of aviation markets – a trend that is both desirable and inevitable. In the first eight months of this year alone, traffic among international passenger carriers grew 6.1 percent, compared to the same period last year.

The bottom line is this: The modern global economy cannot function without aviation. And aviation cannot function without an underlying commitment to safety.

Each of you has demonstrated that commitment by participating in this forum. The next day and a half you will delve in depth into the substance and policy of today’s safety challenges.

Thank you again for being here. And I look forward to working with all of you as we find ways to build upon aviation’s tremendous safety record, and advance the safety agenda in our own countries and around the world.

Briefing Room